The estimation of overtaking possibilities while driving on country roads often represents a very difficult task for the driver planning an overtaking maneuver. Thus, it is not only possible that the driver may fundamentally avoid overtaking maneuvers, but it is also conceivable that the driver may make wrong decisions, which may lead to more critical driving situations, in particular the interruption of the overtaking maneuver. In particular, the driver of a motor vehicle lacks any knowledge about which route sections are particularly suitable for overtaking if the route is unknown. It may also occur that riskier overtaking maneuvers are performed shortly before reaching a following route section, which is much more suitable for an overtaking maneuver.
Even when the driver uses a map representation of a navigation system of a motor vehicle, in order, for example, to recognize a following “long straight section”, said problems remain unsolved, since long straight route sections may also be extremely hilly, so that the visual range is limited, despite the straight form of the road, and elongated curves may be better suited for an overtaking despite their curved form, if no construction site exists along the road track and the curves are thus always visible.
In the state of the art, driver assistance systems have already been proposed, which assist the driver at selecting good points in time for performing overtaking maneuvers. It is known, for example, to evaluate driving situation data, acquired on the motor vehicle, which describe the current driving situation, in order to generate an overtaking recommendation. Moreover, it has been proposed to determine and output overtaking tips or information regarding the suitability of a route section for overtaking, from a vehicle-internal navigation system. Thus, DE 10 2010 008 071 A1 for example proposes to determine route sections ahead of the motor vehicle having characteristics relevant to overtaking maneuvers, and to output the information regarding at least one route section with characteristics relevant for overtaking processes to the vehicle driver. The instant of information output may in particular be chosen in such a way that the driver is timely informed about the possibility of an overtaking maneuver.
However, in this case, a problem arises in that the navigation data to be evaluated do not provide any information about whether a following route section is more suitable for an overtaking maneuver. In fact, in digital map data of a navigation system important information regarding a correct evaluation of route sections is [[are]] missing, since ultimately the same analysis performed by the driver “looking” at the map is automatized.
DE 102 55 331 A1 refers to a driver information system for informing the driver of a vehicle regarding the characteristics of route sections of a traveling route, which are placed in front of the vehicle when viewed in the driving direction with respect to a vehicle location, wherein the idea is that the characteristics of the route sections have to comprise characteristics of the route sections which are relevant for the overtaking processes. Thus, a timely information regarding overtaking possibilities along its travel route is provided to the driver of the vehicle.